The Intent of My Work
Exploring the unique has always been my main drive to go further, the curiosity to discover something new or rediscover a feeling I get from a location. The ideas people get from discovery has driven people on for centuries, discovering the world underwater then is my adventure. The dynamic environments always provide something different, a change in light from the clarity or speed of the water, a sudden fog from silt being disturbed, or the arrival of a giant marine creature in a tiny landscape. Not only discovering the world below, but discovering myself has always been a goal for my work. The landscape has always been there, but the drive to photograph that particular area, on that particular day was a decision my inner self makes. Compositions are made through my mind but are driven by my heart to hold onto a scene.
@davidcolephotog
Strategies Used to Achieve Intent
I want the viewer to feel that same sense of discovery that I feel after I’ve captured the photo. I believe it’s the same feeling looking at other photographers work but recreating that emotion can come in very different visual situations. Therefore I’m not 100% forward on making work that stands out in a crowd of millions, but creating work for the few that can share the same emotions whilst viewing the work is one strategy.
Removing anything man made from a scene is critical in creating these otherworlds, not only is the scene required to have no human presence, but it will also dramatically change the sense of a different perspective. I want these to be as alien as possible, a different atmosphere and unfamiliar shapes and objects.
If these Strategies are Successful, if so, for whom?
For a specific audience I’m still unsure as to whom it would be for, in general it’s for the landscape/underwater community but in small amounts. So far I’ve only shown these at 2 exhibitions and have had positive feedback so far, even sold two and from what I’ve learned they’re mainly used on walls at work so maybe I could expand in that direction. Having a different view could be an effective influencer in a corporate scene on a wall, blown up and printed big it’s a possible hit with that scene.
Is Photographic Ambiguity an Intent in its Own Right
I believe in all my work it is an intent. I want people to be able to tell a story of the scene, what happened, where is this and how did it occur. It may only be a small story but I feel a photograph with one is more important than one without. Whilst different scenes may have smaller stories, having a dynamic approach to the composition and scene I’d expect myself to come up with a few curious thoughts for each.
